The present invention relates to a compensator module that is configured for connection to a transceiver unit by means of an antenna cable, e.g. a coaxial cable. The invention also relates to a radio system comprising a compensator module and a transceiver unit that can be connected to one another via an antenna cable. The invention further relates to a method for operating a radio system comprising a compensator module and a transceiver unit.
Compensator modules that are intended for connection to a transceiver unit by means of an antenna cable are essentially known from the prior art. A compensator module (also referred to as an antenna booster in the prior art) amplifies a transmitter power that is provided at the output of a transceiver unit. A compensator module has a signal input for a signal of interest that is configured to receive a transmitter power provided by a transceiver unit. The transmitter power is provided in a transmitter frequency band, e.g. in the VHF band. A transmitter power which is provided at the output of the transceiver unit is typically subjected to a line loss before it is supplied to an antenna. The line loss can be compensated for by interconnecting a compensator module between the transceiver unit and the antenna.
In order to compensate for a line loss, a compensator module in accordance with the prior art comprises a transmitter amplifier for amplifying the supplied transmitter input power to produce a transmitter output power, and a signal output for the signal of interest for delivering the transmitter output power to an antenna or equivalent load.
A radio system can be formed by a compensator module and a transceiver unit that can be connected to one another via an antenna cable. Transceiver units that are known in the prior art comprise a baseband processor, a tuner, a transmitter amplifier, a receiver amplifier, a TX/RX switch and a transceiver connection. The baseband processor is connected to the tuner which for its part comprises a connection to the transmitter amplifier and to the receiver amplifier. Transmitter amplifiers and receiver amplifiers are connected in a switchable manner to a shared transmitter module connection via a transceiver-side TX/RX switch, wherein an antenna can be connected to the shared transmitter module connection.
In known methods for operating a compensator module or radio system, provision is made to supply a transmitter power in a transmitter frequency band, which transmitter power is provided at the output of the transceiver unit, into the compensator module as transmitter input power, and to deliver a transmitter output power in the transmitter frequency band to an antenna by means of the compensator module.
The object of the present invention is to make possible an improved radio system.